


Everyone Comes With a Set of Parameters

by SeBriar



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Crackships played mostly straight, F/M, Fluff, Harem, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Naruto is optimistically jaded somehow, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2018-09-13 14:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9128104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeBriar/pseuds/SeBriar
Summary: Naruto is stuck in a time loop that treats his love life like a dating sim where the only way to progress is to capture the hearts of his peers. Male or female.It sucks when he finds love, is satisfied with said love, but then still has to 'woo' others in order to continuously move time forward.A Naruto/Harem or Naruto/Everyone fic that is bound to spin wildly out of this author's control. Told in drabbles.





	1. Unusual

**Author's Note:**

> A word of warning: The majority of pairings will be M/M simply because the Naruto verse is sparse for Female characters, and even less so for ones I think will mesh well with our obnoxious blonde.
> 
> I decided to challenge myself by writing a fic where Naruto genuinely falls in love with whomever I have the vaguest interest in seeing him interact with. 
> 
> Oh god somebody stop me.

**Day after Genin Graduation**

 

Shikamaru is slightly surprised when he makes it up to the roof of the academy and finds the place already occupied. He takes a seat where he usually does, which happens to be three feet away from the orange clad boy laying on his back and staring blankly up at the sky.

He tries to keep his gaze focused on the calming scenery above, but can’t help glimpsing at his oddly silent companion who lets out a quiet sigh.

Curiosity is an insufferable burden Shikamaru is unfortunately forced to bare. 

“What are you doing here, Naruto?”

Dull blue eyes blink slowly as they follow the gentle movement of the clouds. “You want me to leave?” The blonde asks.

Shika shrugs. “It doesn’t bother me if you’re here or not.”

Okay, that’s a bit untrue because he does kind of consider this to be _his_ spot, but he’s actually more bothered by the silence on the blonde’s part than his presence in general. He knows that Naruto is prone to melancholic moments just like anybody else, but he’s too used to the boy’s ever exuberant posturing whenever in his presence.

“Is something bothering you?” Let it be known that Shikamaru is in fact a _nice guy_ when he can be bothered to act like it.

Naruto turns toward him and stares. Just stares.

For several seconds.

Shikamaru figures he’s debating whether or not he wants to answer, but that on its own is concerning because the Naruto he knows makes snap decisions and blurts out whatever’s on his mind.

The awkwardness is just starting to become maddeningly uncomfortable when he finally hears a muttered, “Yeah, you could say that. I lost some people I loved.”

Well, shit. “I’m sorry.” The bluntness of the statement is what really throws him off.  He’s both sorry for the boy’s loss and that he asked in the first place.

“What made you ask me?” Naruto questions as if he can read Shika’s mind. ‘I was being a nosy asshole’ probably isn’t a decent answer to give a guy in mourning, so instead he goes with. “You just seem different. Off.” Off in a way that made him nervous. Twitchy?

“Huh,” Naruto breaths out in a considering tone as he turns back to the sky. “You never cared before.”

The silence is deafening and Shikamaru’s almost relieved when Ino intrudes, Choji in tow, to drag him off so they can meet their new sensei. He doesn’t see Naruto again for the rest of the week.

* * *

 

**Day after Genin Graduation**

Shikamaru is slightly surprised when he makes it up to the roof of the academy and finds the place already occupied.

The orange clad boy is slowly pacing the length of the rooftop; one hand covers the lower half of his face and his eyes are half opened and dull looking as if he is entirely focused on some sort of inner struggle.

The blonde’s path continuously leads him through where the best cloud watching seat in the area is, which means Shikamaru will either have to pick a new one _(which will throw off the rhythm of his entire day)_ , or acknowledge Naruto’s presence in the hope of getting him to let up.

“Naruto.”

“Shikamaru,” Is the immediate reply as Naruto stops in his tracks to face him. “Hi.”

“...Hey?” What’s Naruto doing up here anyway? Shouldn’t he be trying to _bond_ with his teammates before they have to go meet their new jonin sensei? Shika is sure Ino is already skulking around for him and it will only be a matter of time before she pries _(bribes)_ his whereabouts out of Choji.

Naruto’s hand lowers to reveal a deep frown. He opens his mouth as if to say something, then snaps it shut as he drops his arms to his sides. “Nevermind,” he mumbles as he quickly strides past him back toward the stairs.  

That… was extremely unusual.

He doesn’t see Naruto again for the rest of the week.


	2. It Bugs Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The struggles of genius and boredom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think most authors update new stories fairly quickly, yeah?

**Genin Graduation Exam Day**

 

Shikamaru wants to be a laid back kind of guy, he really does. Can he pass himself off as one? Yes, with almost flawless accuracy. _(He’s only been watching his dad do it his entire life, and Shikamaru is nothing if not a quick study)._

However, as well as he may be able to _act_ like he doesn’t care, truly not caring proves elusive. When your base intellect and general awareness of your surroundings on an analytical level surpasses that of the majority of your village’s population by a wide margin, it can be difficult to ignore when things ...change.

It’s especially hard to ignore when _people_ change. 

People with obnoxious enthusiasm and boisterous voices that usually go on and on to anyone who will listen for two seconds shouldn’t be slouching at their desk, unmoving, looking as if they’d rather watch grass grow than finally graduate.

 

-

 

Naruto ‘just barely’ manages to create a few satisfying clones to pass alongside his peers. The first time he graduates under actual examination terms he is ecstatic.

The sense of accomplishment dwindles long before what is now the ...one hundred and fifty-somethingth time? He hasn’t had much reason to keep count.

By now he’s got the whole song and dance of this day memorized to the point he can recite the whispered conversations of every single one of his classmates word for word and in time with the movement of their lips without missing a beat. Occasionally, he does silently move his mouth in tandem with theirs in a silent one sided conversation on days where he can feel his own sanity trying to claw its way out of his head from the sheer **_boredom_ ** that is his existence now.

He doesn’t try this today; and in fact hasn't really bothered try to do anything to spice up the monotony of his ever looping week in a long time.

He doesn’t want to look up. He doesn’t want to accidentally catch a glimpse of one of _them_ when he hasn’t mentally prepared himself for it, but he can’t stop himself from coming here at the start of each week. If he stopped coming that would be like giving up, and even a depressed and mourning Uzumaki Naruto doesn't give up.

He just broods for a while and then figures out how to piece his life back together. It's not the first time; it's just the worst.

 

* * *

 

**Day After Genin Graduation Exam**

 

Iruka-sensei calls out the names for three man teams they can expect to spend, at minimum, the next few months in constant contact with. _(He’d be dreading this, except his teammates have been set in stone since before his own birth_ _and he hardly goes a day without seeing one or both them.)_ At least the confirmation will be minimally satisfying to rub in the face of Ino, who has been insisting that she’s ‘fated’ to be on the same team as her precious _Sasuke-kun._

Team seven is announced, and a single cheer rings out with glee as a certain pinkette hops up from her seat and throws her fists in the air! ...Only to flop back down miserably when she processes just who else she’ll be stuck with besides her deadpanned crush.

Uzumaki Naruto sits in the seat of the front row closest to the window. He says nothing, looks at no one, and generally has no reaction at all to his team assignment for a long moment. Then, as Iruka moves on to the the next team, the blonde stands up and walks toward the door.

For the briefest of seconds Naruto’s eyes finally flick up to lock gazes with Shikamaru. He leaves the room despite Iruka’s protests.

In that moment Shika thinks, _‘Damn it. This is going to bug me.’_

 

_-_

 

Shikamaru is not surprised when he makes it up to the roof of the academy and finds the place already occupied. He takes a seat where he usually does, which happens to be three feet away from the orange clad boy leaning back on his arms with his legs spread out in front of him, watching him.

“Hey, Naruto. Everything okay?”

“Not really, no,” Is the dull reply.

He’ll probably regret this, but, “You wanna talk about it?”

 

Naruto blinks, averts his gaze, and sighs heavily. “Yeah.”


	3. Extraordinary Claims

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru will humor you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picks up directly after last part, so no need for time establishing headers.

“I’ve been stuck repeating this same week for a while now.”

In response, Shikamaru’s expression swiftly changes from mildly sympathetic to blank incomprehension. 

Clearly elaboration is needed, but attempts on Naruto's part at convincing people of his situation often fail (comically), so he’s not sure how to go about it the right way. 

“In the beginning everything was normal-”  _ (Normal for him, at least, what with being told he has a demon in his gut and all.)  _ “I graduated from the academy, got assigned to my team, and started doing D-rank missions. Then, after seven days went by, I woke up on the day of the graduation exam again,” He explains. 

He waits nervously as Shikamaru closes his eyes and tilts his face upwards, seemingly lost in thought.

 

-

 

Shikamaru has never thought of Naruto as an idiot like the rest of their peers. An annoying and naïve goofball, certainly; but the way Naruto plans out some of his more larger scaled mischief proves that there’s a subdued propensity for tactics hidden somewhere behind that spiky head of hair. 

However, his opinion of Naruto’s intellectual capacity does nothing to keep him from outright rejecting the outrageous claims.

“I don’t believe you,” Shikamaru states mildly, meeting the blonde’s gaze. 

Naruto hangs his head and clenches his fists in frustration. “I know it’s hard to believe-”

“Extremely, so give me some kind of proof.”

“Like  _ what _ ? I guess I could tell you something that happens later in the week-”

“No,” Shikamaru quickly vetoes, interrupting Naruto again much to the boy’s chagrin. “I don’t believe you yet, but if we’re operating under the assumption you can convince me, we’d be wasting time waiting for a future event specific enough to change my mind to happen. You need to give proof that will satisfy me immediately. That way we’ll have the rest of the week together to figure out your situation before everything supposedly resets. You told me this because you want my help, didn’t you?”

“I- well, yeah. Sort of. You’re the smartest guy I know and I figured if anyone can help me you can.” Naruto averts his eyes to the ground as if there's more to it, but he holds his tongue.

“Hm,” Shikamaru grunts, deciding not to push.

“I could show you the jutsu I learned!” Naruto pipes up with the first bit of enthusiasm he’s shown in the last two days. He continues, “It impressed Sa-” before clamping his mouth shut with an audible click of of teeth.

Shikamaru watches as the genin in front of him hunches over despondently as the brief spark of life in his eyes quickly dies. 

Waiting for a beat in case anything more is going to be said, Shika replies, “For all I know you could’ve known the jutsu you want me to see for some time and just never showed anyone.” It wasn’t that he thought Naruto would be so disingenuous, but it was just better to go on something more concrete. Something closer to his own standards.

As Shikamaru muses on this Naruto frowns deeply, exhaling with exasperation, “Well, what  _ would  _ convince you? I don’t know what else to try.”

Shikamaru maintains a brief silence, then at last comes to a decision.

“Play shogi with me.”

“... _ What?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning next chapter we'll be expanding on Naruto's situation outside of Shika's point of view.


	4. Strategy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto thrives with a goal to work toward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Found my old notes for this story. Taking a crack at it again.

“You lose. Again.” Shikamaru states with a sigh, ending the game without flourish. It was clear the shadow user was utterly bored, but the heavy frown on his face also made clear his disappointment.

 Naruto groans and drops his face onto the board with little care for the game pieces bouncing off as a result. “This is stupid. How is playing shogi going to prove anything!?”

 “Pay attention to my moves and think through your own,” was the unhelpful advice given.

 “I’m _trying_! I only just learned the game, you know! How do you expect me to…” Naruto trails off as his eyes widen, staring off into the distance as he becomes lost in thought. “I think I have an idea.”

 Shikamaru raises an eyebrow in silent question.

Naruto sits up straighter, and suddenly there are thirty of him crowding around them, making Shikamaru flinch notably. There were no hand signs or tell tale puffs of smoke; the clones just shimmered into existence.

“Okay, let’s keep going!” Naruto exclaims and quickly begins to reset the board as his clones watch them both with intense concentration.

Shikamaru plays along, trying not to feel tense with thirty pairs of eyeballs bearing down on him.

When he loses again a short time later, rather than become frustrated, Naruto dispels his clones and replaces them with a fresh batch.

Out of curiosity, Shikamaru reaches for the closest one standing over him, and taps it on the knee. The clone glances at him curiously, but Shika turns away to focus on the new game. 

The clone is not a regular illusion, but a solid mass of chakra. Whatever jutsu Naruto is using to make them is surely far above academy level.

While simultaneously dominating the board, Shikamaru considers the many ways his opponent may intend to use his clone observers. Without knowing the exact mechanics of the jutsu, and not really wanting to ask, he can only speculate. Even so, he’s already developed a working theory he’s quite confident in.

 

* * *

 

**Day After Genin Graduation Exam**

 

A new loop always begins on the day of his graduation exam. He’s blown off the exam before, but the resulting chaos where Mizuki is involved isn’t worth the heartache. Turns out, if the man can’t convince Naruto to do his dirty work for him, he just steals the Scroll of Seals himself which forces Iruka-sensei to go after him. The resulting confrontation is never pretty, so Naruto opts to play along with the spiteful man, beat the snot out of him later, and return the scroll.  

 Iruka’s look of pride almost makes the monotonous routine worth it.

 With all that on his plate, it means the earliest Naruto can reasonably interact with Shikamaru (short of breaking into his classmate’s house in the middle of the night, which he has considered), is the following morning at the academy.

 Not beating around the bush, Naruto dashes straight up to where Shikamaru sits in the back and asks, “Hey, wanna play shogi with me?” They keep a board in their classroom, and Iruka isn’t due to show up for another ten minutes. It’s the perfect time, he figures. Why wait until after teams are assigned? “I’m stuck in a time loop and you said if I win you’d help me.”

 Shika blinks owlishly at him, raising his head from where he was leaning on his arms over the desk, and mumbles out, "...Come again?”


	5. I Believe You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing gets Shikamaru going like... parsing logical fallacies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's my birthday. Have an update.

**Day After Genin Graduation Exam**

 

The two of them are occupying Shikamaru’s preferred cloud-watching spot on the roof of the academy, when the unlikely happens.

Shikamaru blinks down at the board, wide-eyed, as Naruto hops to his feet and pumps his fists into the air. “Yes! I did it! I won!”

“You won immediately. On our first game,” Shikamaru mumbles, distractedly nibbling on his thumbnail as he stares at the pieces arranged before him. The particular brand of strategy he used for the last game was one he only employed against his  _ father _ , and yet Naruto still trounced him handily. In less than fifteen minutes.  “Okay, I believe you,” Shikamaru finally admits.

Naruto pauses in his celebration of achieving the impossible ( _ he won a strategy game against  _ **_Shikamaru_ ** _!) _ , looking back with hope shining in his eyes. “Really? You really believe me now?”

Shikamaru nods, eyes wide and thumbnail still held between his teeth as he gazes up at Naruto like he’s looking at the missing piece to a complex puzzle. “I do. Tell me, how long did it  _ actually  _ take you to beat me?”

“Um,” Naruto mutters, sitting back down and sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, “About five loops went by, so…  over a month? I kind of cheated and used shadow clones to help me keep track all the moves you made every time we played. When my clones are dispelled I get all their memories back, so it was like I had a bunch of different views on every game. I think you went easy on me last loop though, because it felt like you were using the same strategy over and over. Heh.”

The ‘same strategy’ huh? Shikamaru can only imagine what he must’ve been thinking in previous loops, but it was probably a planned escalation of skill. He would’ve started out treating Naruto like the beginner he was, and as the blonde improved Shika took the game more seriously. Once it got to the point where the two of them were evenly matched, his play style might’ve stagnated. 

Still, he’s not going to admit that Naruto probably stumped him. 

“Makes sense,” Shikamaru states instead with a small shrug, looking back to the board. Even with the Shadow Clone advantage ( _ note-to-self: get more detail on that)  _ he’s still rather impressed by the speed of which Naruto conquered his better strategies. 

Impressed… and excited. He’s looking forward to the challenge this will present in both future games of shogi and, well... 

Shikamaru pushes the board aside and scoots closer to Naruto, leaning forward. He rests his hands in his lap with his fingertips pressed together and the thumbs pointed toward his chin. “So,” he says with a captivated undertone, “What are your theories about how you ended up in this situation?”

Naruto visibly wilts from the question, lowering his eyes to the cracked concrete beneath them. “I’m… really not sure?” He admits hesitantly. “One day I just woke up and everything that happened that past week was erased…”

Shikamaru hums in consideration, shutting his eyes. “Describe it in detail to me,” He requests.


	6. How It Started

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto is slow on the uptake.

**_LOOP 1_ **

_It's not immediately noticeable._

_He wakes, rummages around in his fridge for something decent to eat, and is disappointed to find that the milk he just bought has already spoiled._

_He doesn't register that the expiration date is from weeks before he purchased it._

_As he leaves the kitchen he pays no attention to the full cans of paint and paintbrushes sitting innocently along the wall of his hallway._

_Naruto goes to the bathroom and blinks tiredly at his reflection in the mirror as he's washing his hands. He could've sworn he wore a black t-shirt and his boxers to bed last night, but now he's in the blue PJ's that should be in his laundry basket._

_He shrugs it off. He was up pretty late last night training, so it’s possible he just grabbed whatever looked comfy before promptly passing out on his bed._

_Surprisingly, his muscles don't ache nearly as much as he’d expect them to after long hours of intense physical activity._

_Naruto hums to himself as he splashes water on his face, wondering what to do with his free time as today is his first day off since becoming a genin. He feels somewhat mentally worn out from the seemingly endless D-ranks he’s been forced to partake in. (He shudders as he recalls the seemingly endless hours spent chasing the repeat runaway cat, Tora.)_

_An excellent idea would be to drag his feet back to his lumpy mattress and catch another hour of well earned rest, so he shakes his hands free of water and does just that._

_Having yet to develop one of those useful, instinctual body reactions known as an internal clock, one hour turns into four for Naruto._

_When he finally_ **_does_ ** _wake up, it’s to Iruka-sensei frowning down at him from the end of his bed, hands on his hips._

_His sensei is a rather imposing figure to Naruto's sleep addled mind; after blinking at the man sluggishly for a few moments, he flinches back against the headboard in surprise once he truly registers what’s going on._

_"I-Iruka-sensei?" Naruto stutters, and struggles to untangle his sheets from his legs so he can stand up. "What are you doing here?" He asks in befuddlement. He's only seen his academy teacher briefly since graduating when the scarred brunette happened to be working at the mission supply desk._

_Iruka glares down at Naruto. Thankfully, it isn't a hate filled or slightly frantic look most of the villagers sport, but one that speaks of immense disappointment in the face of high expectation._

_The expression is a heavy weight on Naruto's chest, though he isn’t aware of what misdeed he's done recently to warrant this level of judgment._

_Iruka walks around the bed and stands directly in front of him. He reaches out to Naruto, grasping his shoulders firmly._

_"Where_ **were** _you, Naruto?" Iruka demands, immediately followed by the exclamation of, "You missed the genin exams!" The man visibly struggles not to shake Naruto back and forth to emphasize his point._

_Naruto tilts his head, baffled, and looks up at his precious teacher with only the most uncomprehending of gazes._

_“...Huh?”_

 

* * *

 

 “You’re sure you didn’t encounter anything or anyone strange the night before this happened?” Shikamaru asks, interrupting the retelling.

I’m freaking positive!” Naruto is quick to confirm, fisting his hands and bringing them down roughly to hit his thighs. “I’ve racked my brain trying to remember if I did anything out of the ordinary, but I seriously _didn’t!_ I spent all day chasing _Devil-Cat-Tora_ with my team, did some late night training, and went to sleep!” He runs his fingers through his already shaggy locks and groans.

“Okay,” Shikamaru accepts, and Naruto can’t tell if his answer was expected or not. “Continue with your story,” He prompts.


End file.
